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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 


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Sons of the Revolution 



Incorporated under the Laws of the State of New York 
- May 3, 1884 



CONSTITUTION 






New York 

Published by the Society 

1889 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1889, fof the Sons of the 

Revolution, by Austin Huntington, Historian of the Society, 

in the Office of the Librarian of Congress. 






CONSTITUTION. 



ARTICLE I. 
The name of the Society shall be " Sons of the Revo- 
lution." 

ARTICLE II. 

The Society shall be perpetual, and one and indi- 
visible. 

ARTICLE III. 

The purpose of the Society is to keep alive among 
ourselves and our descendants the patriotic spirit of the 
men who, in military, naval or civil service, by their acts or 
counsel, achieved American Independence ; to collect and 
secure for preservation the manuscript rolls, records and 
other documents relating to the war of the Revolution, and 
to promote social intercourse and good feeling among its 
members now and hereafter. 

ARTICLE IV. 

Any person shall be eligible for membership in the 

Society who is a male above the age of twenty-one (21) 

years, and who is descended from an ancestor who, either 

as a military or naval officer, soldier, sailor, or as an official 



in the service of any one of the thirteen original Colonies or 
States, or of the National Government representing or com- 
posed of those Colonies or States, assisted in establishing 
American Independence during the war of the Revolution ; 
and no person other than such shall be eligible to member- 
ship in the Society. 

ARTICLE V. 

Members shall be elected as follows : Candidates may 
send their names and documents, or other proofs of qualifi- 
cation for membership, to the Board of Managers of the 
Society ; and upon a favorable report from said board, and 
upon payment of the initiation fee, shall thereupon become 
members of the Society. Provided, however, that whenever 
there is an auxiliary branch organized, as hereinafter pro- 
vided, in the State or Territory wherein a candidate resides, 
he may send his application for membership to the Board of 
Managers thereof. The Avord " State," as above used, in- 
cludes also the District of Columbia. 

ARTICLE VI. 

W' HENEVER seven or more members, all residing in 
any one State or Territory, or in the District of Columbia, 
shall present to the Board of Managers of the Society a 
petition that they may be authorized, as incorporators, to 
organize an auxiliary branch of the Society in said State or 
Territory, the Society shall, in its discretion, at a stated 



or special meeting, by a vote of the majority of the mem- 
bers present, grant or refuse such petition. 

ARTICLE VII. 

An auxiliary branch authorized as above shall have 
the following powers and limitations : 

1. Its title shall be "Sons of the Revolution in the State 

(or Territory) of ; " or, "in the 

District of Columbia." 

2. It shall be subject to and bound by all the provisions 

of this Constitution, without power to alter or amend 
the same. 

3. Its Board of Managers for the first year of its existence 

shall consist of its incorporators above mentioned, 
who shall have power to elect as members of the 
Society in such branch all persons qualified therefor 
under Article IV. of this Constitution. 

4. Its Board shall adopt by-laws not inconsistent with this 

Constitution, and provide therein for the election of 
officers and of succeeding boards of managers for 
such branch. 

5. It shall forward for record to the Historian of the So- 

ciety, immediately after the admission of any mem- 
bers, duplicates of the applications for membership 
and of other proofs, if any, upon which said mem- 
bers were admitted ; and annually, on or before De- 
cember 3d, in like manner forward lists of members 
and of their respective addresses, and of casualties 
which may have occurred. 



6. Its jurisdiction shall be wholly confined to the State or 
Territory or District for which it is authorized. 

ARTICLE VIII. 

The officers of the Society shall be a President, a Vice- 
President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Registrar, a Historian, 
and a Board of Managers, consisting of those officers ex- 
officio, and so many other members as may be designated by 

the by-laws. 

ARTICLE IX. 

The Society shall hold an annual meeting in the city 
of New York on the third day of December, in each and 
every year, at which a general election of officers by ballot 
shall take place, except when such date shall fall on Sunday 
in which event the meeting shall be held on the following 
day. In such election, a majority of the ballots given for 
any officer shall constitute a choice ; but if, on the first 
ballot, no person shall receive such majority, then a further 
balloting shall take place, in which a plurality of votes given 
for any officer shall determine the choice. Each auxiliary 
branch shall also have its annual meeting and general 
election of its officers on the same day. 

ARTICLE X. 

Whenever a written complaint shall be presented to 
the President of the Society, either from the Society or from 
any auxiliary branch thereof, to the effect that the pro- 



5 

visions of the Constitution have been violated by the Society 
or by any auxiliary branch ; or, that any member or mem- 
bers of the Society, whether or not belonging to any 
auxiliary branch, have been guilty of conduct unbecoming 
to gentlemen, or subversive of the interests of the Society, 
the President of the Society shall call a council to meet in 
the city of New York, which council shall consist of himself, 
or of a representative designated by the Society and of the 
President, or designated representative of each of the 
auxiliary branches. 

Such council shall have full power to compel conformity 
to the Constitution, and may rescind any act in violation 
thereof, and may revoke the authority given, as before 
provided, to any auxiliary branch. It shall also have full 
power to expel any member or members of the Society for 
conduct which it may judge to be unbecoming to gentle- 
men, or subversive of the best interests of the Society. 

At such council a majority of the members entitled to 
be present shall constitute a quorum. 

ARTICLE XI. 

i HE seal of the Society shall be one and seven-eighths 
of an inch in diameter, and shall consist of the figure of a 
minute man in Continental uniform, standing on a ladder 
leading to a belfry ; in his left hand he holds a musket and 
an olive branch, while his right hand grasps a bell rope. 
Above, the cracked Liberty bell ; issuing therefrom a ribbon 



6 

bearing the motto of the Society, " Exegi Monumentum 
Aere Perennius." Across the top of the ladder on a ribbon 
the figures " 1776," and at the left of the minute man and also 
on a ribbon the figures " 1883," the year of the foundation of 
the Society ; the whole encircled by a band three-eighths of 
an inch wide ; thereon at the top thirteen stars of five points 
and at the bottom the legend " Sons of the Revolution." 
The following being a facsimile thereof : 




7 

ARTICLE XII. 
1 HE insignia of the Society shall consist of the badge 
pendent from the ribbon by a ring of gold. 

The badge of the Society shall be elliptical in form, 
with escaloped edges, one and one-quarter inches in length, 
and one inch and one-eighth in width, the whole sur- 
mounted by a gold eagle with wings displayed inverted. 
On the obverse side a medallion of gold in the centre, ellip- 
tical in form, bearing on its face the figure of a soldier in 
Continental uniform, with musket slung. Beneath, the 
figures '1775;" the medallion surrounded by thirteen 
raised gold stars of five points upon a border of dark blue 
enamel. 

On the reverse side, in the centre, a medallion, corre- 
sponding in form to that on the obverse, and also in gold, 
bearing on its face Hou don's portrait of Washington in bas- 
relief, encircled by the legend, "Sons of the Revolution," 
and upon the reverse of the eagle the number of the particu- 
lar badge engraved, the medallion surrounded by a plain 
kgold border conforming in dimensions to the obverse, upon 
which members may have their names engraved in script. 

The ribbon of the Society shall be dark blue, ribbed, 
edged with buff, one and one-quarter inches wide and one 
inch and one-half in displayed length. 

The insignia of the Society shall be worn by its mem- 
bers on all occasions when the members shall assemble as 



8 



such for any stated purpose or celebration. It shall be car- 
ried conspicuously on the left breast. The badge shall 
never be worn as an article of jewelry. 

The Registrar of the Society shall have under his sole 
control the insignia and the die from which the same is 
made ; shall alone issue the insignia to the members of the 
Society and of the auxiliary branches, and shall keep a 
record of all issued by him. 

The following being a facsimile of said insignia : 




9 
ARTICLE XIII. 

1 HIS Constitution shall be amended only by a vote in 
favor of such amendment cast by three-quarters of the mem- 
bers present at a general meeting of the Society and of the 
auxiliary branches, called for that purpose by the President 
of the Society, and held in the city of New York. 

Notice shall be given of such proposed amendment tv/o 
months previous to said meeting, by the President of the 
Society, who shall call such meeting whenever an amend- 
ment is presented to him by the Society or by any one or 
more of the auxiliary branches. Such notice as to auxiliary 
branches may be sent to the several secretaries of the same 
and communicated by them in the manner prescribed by 
their by-laws. 



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